Do you want to live your dream and work from home. I know so many people who have taken the leap from commuting to work to working from their own home. For some it has been a successful transition due to the fact they planned and stuck to their plans.

If you want your new career working from home to work you have to understand that the same amount of committment and structure is required as if you were still working in an office. There are definite challenges and they need to addressed before you take the plunge.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is picking the wrong line of work to do. Not all businesses can be run from home without major upheaval to your living arrangements. You would be wise not to run a business that say involves filling up all your living space with stock. You need to find a business that fits in with your living arrangements and family life.

Ok so you’ve decided which business you would like to manage from your home that fits in with the size of your house and your family committments. The next step is to allocate a designated space that you will work in. You need to be up at the same time every day, dressed and organised. Rolling out of bed and working in your dressing gown does not equate to a well run business.

One of the hardest things about running a business from home is staying focused and not getting distracted. You see when you work for some-one else say in an office your family, friends and relatives can’t just pop in for coffee and a gossip, nor can your spouse expect you to pop to the supermarket for a spot of light shopping. Cynical as it may sound this is what will happen unless you state your working hours from the start.

You need to make a list, as with any job, of all the tasks that need doing that day. These do not include, I repeat, do not include cleaning, washing, ironing,gardening or anything of that ilk. One of my closest female friends found this so hard and felt drawn rather like a magnet out of her office towards the washing machine!!

A great way to stay committed, organised, focused and out of the washing basket is to set goals. Make your goals realistic and reward yourself when your on target.

Lastly you have to finish work at the end of every day and stay finished. No sneaking back into your office for a couple more hours just because you can. Your family and you will suffer. You will become exhausted and because your work and family are all under one roof you will start to become lethargic and stressed. You must finish at the end of the day and stay finished.